chrysanthemum lesson

Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 2nd grade
Central Focus: Identifying character traits and
ELA
changes within a story.
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective: CSS.ELADate submitted:
Literacy.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story
Date taught:
3/21/16
respond to major events and challenges.
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will explore a text where they must identify how the
character changes due to the event(s) that took place and will answer 4 out of 5
questions correctly.
21st Century Skills: Information
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Literacy
Vocabulary):
Evidence, explain
Prior Knowledge: Students understand that a character changes within a story as
events occur. Students understand the concept of giving evidence from the text.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

Description of Activities and Setting
I will start the lesson by calling all students up to the
front of the room to sit on the carpet. First, we will talk
about how characters within a story change. I will ask
the students if they can make a connection with their
own life where something has changed that has caused
them to change as well. This will allow the students to
make a connection to the story before they hear it.
Also, it will get the students thinking about the
objective of the lesson and what they will be focusing
on with this story.
“Can you think of a time in your life where an event
caused you change in some way?”
“How do you think this event impacted you?”
I will then show the students the cover of the book. I
will ask:
“What do you notice about the cover of the book?”
“What do you think this book will be about?”

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student
3. Teacher Input

“Today I am going to teach you how to recognize how
the character changes with the events that occur in a
story.”
I will read the students the book titled Chrysanthemum
by Kevin Henkes. This book is an example of how a
character can change in a story. As I read to the
students, I will pause every so often to ask questions
that will check for comprehension. I have placed sticky
notes on pages in the story with questions that I will

Time

ask the students. The questions will encourage the
students to think about how the character responds to
the each event within the story.
I will ask the questions:
“What do we know about Chrysanthemum so far?”
“Why is she beginning to dislike her name?”
“How is Chrysanthemum feeling at the end of the
story?”
“What has caused her to feel this way?”

4. Guided Practice

Next, the students will be given paper and they must
draw an event that occurred in the story that led to the
character changing. I will encourage the students to
think about which event led to Chrysanthemum
disliking her name. The students will be given time to
draw and color their pictures. For those who finish, I
will have a few of them share their picture with the
class and explain their drawing.
As the students are working on their drawings, I will
circle the room and confer with the students. I will ask
the students about their drawing and how it will show
the change that occurs in Chrysanthemum.
After the students share some of their drawings, the
students will move into another activity. Students will
receive a worksheet that they must complete on their
own. They will be instructed to work silently and
independently on this worksheet. The worksheet will
be used to check the comprehension of the students
and will be collected as an assessment.

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all

For these questions, the students must think about the
story and the events that occurred. This will show
whether students have comprehended the story while I
was reading. The students will be asked to answer
questions about the character changing in the story,
and they also must list 3 major events in sequential
order from the text. If the students have a question,
they may raise their hand and ask.
The worksheet will be graded out of 5 points. I will expect the
students to get at least 4/5 points to have met the objective.
Explaining how the character changes- 1 point

objectives/skills:

Providing evidence from the text- 1 point
Listing three major events in order- 1 point for each (3 points)

7. Closure

After the students have finished the worksheet, I will
collect the papers. Next, I will review the worksheet
with the students by asking them questions about how
the character changes. I will then review the second
part of the worksheet by asking the students about the
major events that took place. We will discuss these
events in sequential order.

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Modifications/Accommodations:
The read-aloud of the book
All students will be given enough time to
Chrysanthemum will benefit the visual
complete their worksheet. For students who
and auditory learners, and the drawing did not finish their drawing, they may finish
of the event will allow students to be
if there is time after completing their
creative.
worksheet.
Materials/Technology:
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, worksheets, whiteboard if needed, paper, students
will need crayons/colored pencils
(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart Board slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at
the end of the lesson plan.)

References: Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. No other outside references used.
Reflection on lesson: